Device and method for measuring cervical vertebra movement

Abstract

The present disclosure provides device and method for measuring cervical vertebra movement. The device comprises a sensor unit, a computation unit, a storage unit and a determination unit. The sensor unit comprises at least one transmission part and at least one reception part. Either of the transmission part and the reception part moves along with user's head, the other fixes relative to user's body. The transmission part transmits detection signals and the reception part receives them. The computation unit computes, based on detection signals, distance changes in a distance between the transmitting and reception part before and after user's head moves. The storage unit stores a mapping table indicating relations between distance changes and movement angles of user's head. The determination unit inquires the mapping table based on distance changes to determine movement angles of user's head. The device is simple, easily operated and practicable.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for measuring cervical vertebra movement, the device comprising a sensor unit, a processor and memory,
 wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one cylindrically-shaped transmission part and at least one cylindrically-shaped reception part, one of the transmission part and the reception part is arranged to move along with a head of a user, and the other one is arranged to be fixed relative to a body of the user below the user's head, 
 wherein the transmission part is configured to transmit a plurality of detection signals, 
 wherein the reception part is configured to receive the plurality of detection signals transmitted by the transmission part, 
 wherein the processor is configured to compute, based on the plurality of detection signals received by the reception part, a change in a distance between the transmission part and the reception part, 
 wherein the memory is configured to store a mapping table indicating a relation between the change in the distance and a movement angle of the head of the user, 
 wherein the processor is configured to inquire the mapping table based on the change in the distance to determine the movement angle of the head of the user, 
 wherein the cylindrically-shaped transmission part includes two transmission terminals and the cylindrically-shaped reception part includes two reception terminals corresponding to the two transmission terminals, and 
 wherein the transmission terminals are each configured to transmit one of the plurality of detection signals, and the reception terminals are each configured to receive the detection signal transmitted by its corresponding transmission terminal. 
 
     
     
       2. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to compute a change in a distance between each transmission terminal and each corresponding reception terminal before and after the head of the user moves. 
     
     
       3. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 1 , wherein each transmission terminal transmits a different detection signal. 
     
     
       4. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 1 , wherein an angle between a connection line connecting the transmission part with the corresponding reception part and a reference axis is not equal to zero, and wherein the reference axis is a central axis of the body of the user in a vertical direction when the user stands upright and looks straight ahead. 
     
     
       5. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a movement pattern for the head of the user based on the change in the distance and a pre-established relation between the change in the distance and the movement pattern for the head of the user. 
     
     
       6. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmission part is an infrared transmitter and the reception part is an infrared receiver. 
     
     
       7. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 6 , wherein the detection signal is an infrared ray with a wavelength of 5.6˜15 μm. 
     
     
       8. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the transmission part and the reception part has a length of 2˜3 cm. 
     
     
       9. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmission part periodically transmits the plurality of detection signals at an interval of T 2 , wherein a duration for transmitting the plurality of detection signals is T 1 , wherein T 2 =KT 1 , and wherein K is an integer which is greater than or equal to 1. 
     
     
       10. A method for measuring cervical vertebra movement, the method comprising:
 computing, in response to at least one cylindrically-shaped reception part of a sensor unit receiving a plurality of detection signals transmitted by at least one cylindrically-shaped transmission part of the sensor unit, a change in a distance between each transmission part and corresponding reception part before and after a head of a user moves, and 
 determining a movement angle of the head of the user based on the change in the distance and a pre-established relation between the change in the distance and the movement angle of the head of the user, 
 wherein one of the transmission part and the reception part is arranged to move along with the head of the user, and the other one is arranged to be fixed relative to a body of the user below the user's head, 
 wherein the transmission part includes two transmission terminals and the reception part includes two reception terminals corresponding to the two transmission terminals, the transmission terminals are each configured to transmit one of the plurality of detection signals and the reception terminals are each configured to receive the detection signal transmitted by its corresponding transmission terminal, and 
 wherein the step of computing the change in the distance comprises computing the change in the distance between each transmission terminal and each corresponding reception terminal before and after the head of the user moves. 
 
     
     
       11. The method for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the two transmission terminals transmits a different detection signal. 
     
     
       12. The method for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 10 , further comprising determining a movement pattern for the head of the user based on the change in the distance and a pre-established relation between the change in the distance and the movement pattern for the head of the user. 
     
     
       13. The method for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 10 , wherein the transmission part periodically transmits the plurality of detection signals at an interval of T 2 , wherein a duration for transmitting the plurality of detection signals is T 1 , wherein T 2 =KT 1 , and wherein K is an integer which is greater than or equal to 1. 
     
     
       14. The device for measuring cervical vertebra movement according to  claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to compute a change in a distance between each transmission terminal and each corresponding reception terminal before and after the head of the user moves.